Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-12
A SATURNALIA OF HORROR
APPALLING RAILWAY SLAUGHTER ON
AN ILLINOIS LINE.
Only a Culvert. Weakened by Fire,
But the Dead Fill the Gap
by Scores,
And the Shrieks of the Mangied Make
the Midnight Awful-A Catastro-
phe That Has No Parallel
on Record.

More Than a Hundred Hurried Into Eternity
and Twice That Many More Bruised,
Gashed, and Broken-A Joyous Excursion
Suddenly Turned Into Frightful Human
Sacrihce-Nine Cars Freighted with Men,
Women, and Children Crushed into
Dreadful Mass Hcart-Sickening Details
Robbery of the Victims
CHICAGO, Aug. 12-The following dispatch
has been received from Chatsworth, Ills:
A terrible accident occurred on the Toledo
Peoria & Western excursion train three
miles east of here Wednesday night, few
minutes before u O'Clock The train was
composed of five sleepers, two chairs, six day
coaches and baggage car drawn by en-
gines u and Is The accident was caused by
the burning of bridge across Vermilhon
river. The engineer on the head engine saw
the fire for some distance but thought it was
grass. As the train drew near the real ma
ture of the fire was discovered, but too late
The train was running at the rate of thirty
miles an hour. The air brakes were applied.
The first engine jumped the chasm safely;
the second engine was thrown from the
track, landing on her right side and burying
the engineer, f. B. McClntock. All the cars
except the sleepers were telescoped The cries
were heartrendIng The early reports esti-
mated $50 killed and as many wounded.
The train left Bloomington Wednesday night
for Niagara Falls on the Illinois Central, the
intention being to go 10y that road as far as
Chstsworth, and from thence by way of the
Toledo, Peoria & Western railroad The
eha&ge was made in Chatsworth, in Livings-
ton county, and soon afterward, as the train
neared Piper City, small town in Ford
county, the terrible disaster occurred
EXCITEMENT AT PEORIA
telegram from Peoria says: 1t was a
wild and excited throng which surrounded
Union station in Peoria Thursday morning
News of the wreck of the Niagara excursion
train, with fifteen coaches and two engines
had spread like wildfre -Four hundred ex-
cursionists from Peoria, Canton, Eureka and
other places, many of them well known and
highly respected throughout central Illinois,
round, and the number of killed was variously
estimated at from six to 100 The first re-
lief train left Peoria at $50 Every one was
sad and discussed the probable results in ac-
cents low. 1t was impossible to hear any
thing in Peoria, and many men and women
were aboard who We're fearful lest some dear
one was among the dead or horribly manglei-
At all stations along the line large crowds Of
excited people had gathered, anxious to hear
the latest news from Peoria. Some wild
rumors prevailed but nothing of an anthem
tic nature could be learned When the relief
train reached its destination it was
SAD AND CHASTITY SIGHT
that was brought to view. Ten coaches had
either gone through the bridge or were piled
in promiscuous heaps crosswise and length
wise of the track Shrieks and groans of the
wounded and dying could be heard. The
bridge through which the cars passed west
was a small one 1t had been afre, which
was the cause of its weakening, causing the
frightful catastrophe. Seventy bodies were
conveyed to the town hall school house, and
on the station platform at Chatsworth
THE ENGINEERS ExPosTULArIoN.
This was undoubtedly the largest excursion
ever pulled out of this city, two engines he
ing required to pull it, but only one of these
was attached at the station, the other being
sent on ahead and being taken on after the
trains had cleared the Illinois river bridge, a
switch engine being placed at the rear of the
train to assist it in starting at the station be
fore the train started E B. McClintock,
one of the engineers, expostulated with Gen
eral Superintendent Armstrong about the
way the train was made up, insisting that it
ought to be taken out in two sections. but his
words were of no avail; poor fellow, he is
dead now
RoBBING THE WOUNDED AND DEAD
One of the survivors relates that as soon
as the first engine cleared the bridge the
brush beneath it famed up as if oil had
been ignited. He was fast i'll the wreck, and
called for assistance, He was aided by some
one outside, and as soon as he was safely out
of the wreck his rescuer grasped his watch
and tore it from him. Another man was
robbed of his chain, the vandal failing to
get his watch Also the fingers of several of
the dead were cut off, upon which were valu-
able rings The robbing of the dead and in
jured gave rise to the terrible report that the
bridge had been fired, and the train pur-
posely wrecked for the sake of plumber, but
no confidence is placed in the report here It
is believed that the robbing was the work of
vandals who happened to be at hand.